"A Modest Proposal" Essay

Word choice gives Swift artillery to create satire in "A Modest Proposal".

In "A Modest Proposal", Swift uses several different words to create satire, one of which is the word 'breeders'. He uses the term breeders in reference to the women. In several paragraphs he talks about these breeders and their role. "I calculate there may be about 200,000 couples whose wives are breeders;"(Swift 2) The way that he refers to the women as breeders instead of mothers, wives or women creates satire. Instead of talking about them he talks about what they do. Or what they are supposed to do. This makes good artillery because referring to the women as breeders gives them a significant role and satire is created because instead of being known as women and mothers they are now breeders.

In beginning his proposal Swift uses the word 'scheme' before he gets into too much detail about what he has in mind.

Image taken from page 10 of 'The Works of Jonathan...

Jonathan Swift

Jonathan Swift at the Deanery of St. Patrick's, il...

This word is an excellent word to use to start off. "As to my own part, having turned my thoughts for many years upon this important subject, and maturely weighed the several schemes of our projectors"(Swift 1) Scheme meaning "A systematic plan of action" very well describes the plan that is later laid out by swift to solve the issues he talks about. "There is likewise another great advantage in my scheme".(Swift 1) He immediately explains how his scheme will "prevent voluntary abortions, and that horrid practice of women murdering their bastard children".(Swift 1,2) It's ironic how he says that then a little bit further down he says: "I have been assured by a very knowing American of my acquaintance in London, that a young healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether...